Download PDF pic: Icicles form as meltwater drips from winter sea ice grounded as the tide drops. Rothera Point, Adelaide Island, Antarctica. Pete Bucktrout (British Antarctic Survey) In order to understand how climate change is affecting the Southern Ocean ecosystem, it is necessary to understand the context in which change occurs. What was the Southern Ocean ecosystem like 10 years ago, 50 years ago or 5,000 years ago? Long-term monitoring combined with techniques which provide clues about the distant past, suc...

In cooperation with the approaching Sea Ice Day, IPY project ICED talks about relationships between sea ice and marine life in the Southern Ocean: Some of the strongest expressions of climate change have been noticed in Antarctica. In some areas sea ice has markedly decreased, in others it has increased. Sea surface temperatures in the west Antarctic Peninsula region have increased significantly over the last 50 years. These and other such changes affect the delicate balance of life in the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Changes in sea ice can have a direct impact on ecosystems through shifts in the amount of habitat available for ice-associated animals. Recent research revealed a decline in tiny shrimp-like creatures (krill) across the Scotia ...